Kyushu is one of the four main islands of the Japanese Archipelago. It is the third largest and the southernmost big island as well. The island is divided into seven prefectures and from all these areas, Fukuoka is the largest city. The name of the island origins from the Japanese expressions for 'Nine states' and 'West of the Pacified area'.
The island of Kyushu is mainly a mountainous area, enriched with active volcanoes and other tectonic phenomena, such as the famous hot springs or o... [ read more ]

Yokohama is the second largest city in Japan. With 3.7 million inhabitants, Yokohama is the biggest incorporated city in the country. The city is located on the main island, on Honshu and it is one of the most developed cities of The Land of the Rising Sun.
Located in Tokyo Bay, Yokohama is a very important port besides Tokyo, Hakata, Osaka, Kobe and Nagoya. Yokohama is a place every tourist should visit: traditional buildings and temples are available here, as well as modern skyscrapers ... [ read more ]

Tokyo is definitely a very interesting city: a combination of modern and traditional Japanese aspects. The capital is also an important cultural center, with many museums, theaters, traditional inns and cinemas. The majority of Tokyo's cinemas are located in the central area of the city and in shopping centers. Toho is the dominant cinema chain in the city: its 11 theaters play English movies as well.
In Japan, non-English movies are not dubbed, they only have subtitles in Japanese. T... [ read more ]

Railways and rail transport are very important in Japan. Japanese National Railways carry more than 15 billion passengers every year. Shinkansen, or the high speed bullet trains connect the large metropolitan areas of the country, rushing with more than 300 km/h (186 mph) between the major cities.
Japan has more than 27,000 kilometers of rail all around the country. The trains are extremely crowded in the morning and in the afternoon as well, because the majority of the population uses ra... [ read more ]

The relief of The Land of the Rising Sun is not very diverse: about 73% percent of the archipelago's area is covered by mountains. Due to its geographical situation, all these mountains are volcanic, and many volcanoes are considered to be mountains as well.
The Japanese Alps are very famous for the hiking and mountain climbing spots. For tourists, it is recommended to climb Japan's highest mountains during spring or summer, because at these heights winter is extremely cold and it is qu... [ read more ]

In Japan the fourth month of the year is famous for the large number of festivals which are held all around the archipelago. April is the most beautiful month in Japan: the Sakura or the cherry blossoming is one of the most important spring events of the country.
Besides Sakura, the other events are beautiful and interesting as well. Most of the festivals are related to the fertility of both nature and of humans. These occasions are perfect representatives of the colorful and interesting ... [ read more ]

Since the Japanese Archipelago consists of more than 6800 islands, many of them are connected through suspension bridges. From the 53 suspension bridges of the country 10 are registered between the 100 longest suspension bridges of the world.
This type of bridge requires very punctual design and construction. The main reason why Japanese architects project suspension bridges is that they can resist to earthquake movements. This design also allows very long main spans, and above all, build... [ read more ]

In Japan, cherry blossoming is the most important event of spring. Millions of people gather in the nearby parks or Japanese gardens to observe this beautiful and amazing condition of nature. Cherry blossoms, or in Japan, Sakura, are 'celebrated' by picnicking under the cherry trees. This nice, nature-loving practice is called hanami.
The Japanese Meteorological Agency lets Japanese people know the Sakura Zensen, or the cherry blossom front every year; which means the movements of cherry ... [ read more ]

Kyoto is considered the most traditional Japanese city. As the former capital of Japan, it played an important role in the country's history. With a population of more than 1.5 million inhabitants, it is still a significant city.
Nowadays, besides Kanagawa and Tokyo, it is one of the most important cities with a geisha population. Gion is clearly the most popular geisha district in Kyoto, but it is important to mention the other districts too. Other hanamachi, like Pontocho, Kamishichiken... [ read more ]

Arcades are entertaining machines which are operated with coins. These are usually placed in public places, like in a bar, plaza or restaurant. Amusement arcades are places where arcade video game fans can play their favorite games. Arcade games were popular in the 1970-90's, but nowadays they are still famous, especially in some Asian countries, just like Japan.
There are dozens of arcade places in Japan, but the most popular ones are located in Tokyo. If you are in Tokyo and you have s... [ read more ]